Stress factors influencing plasma cortisol levels and adrenal weights in Chinese water deer (Hydropotes inermis).

Stress responses were compared in Chinese water deer (Hydropotes inermis) exposed to different handling, management and disease factors by measuring plasma cortisol and adrenal gland weight. Healthy free-ranging deer shot as part of a management programme served as baseline controls; they had lower cortisol levels than either diseased deer or free-ranging deer that were either netted and manually restrained or anaesthetised by dart. Although darting appeared subjectively to be much less stressful to the deer than manual restraint, there was no significant difference in cortisol levels between the two groups. Hand-reared deer that were manually restrained in a similar manner to the free-ranging deer did not react behaviourally any less violently but showed significantly lower plasma cortisol levels. Adrenal glands of deer with various, mostly chronic, disease conditions weighed significantly more than those of healthy deer.

The veterinary management of a laryngeal air sac infection in a free-ranging mountain gorilla.

A purulent laryngeal air sac infection was diagnosed in a free-ranging adult male mountain gorilla (Gorilla gorilla beringei) in Central Africa. Successful treatment included the administration of antibiotics via blow dart and surgical drainage in the field. This case occurred during an outbreak of respiratory disease of undetermined etiology in this and other gorillas in the population.